The present application generally relates to innovations and improvements in vehicle suspensions. More particularly, the present application relates to a vehicle frame having a V-rod attachment mounted between the drive axle and the vehicle frame.
Vehicle suspensions have used V-rod attachments that include a V-shaped member with a vertex that is typically pivotally mounted to a vehicle axle. The V-shaped member includes two extending arms that are respectively pivotally mounted to oppositely disposed vehicle frame rails. The V-rod attachment is used to stabilize the vehicle axle laterally, as well as in fore and aft directions, while allowing vertical movement of the axle with respect to the vehicle frame rails. The V-rod attachment provides for proper alignment of the axle with respect to the vehicle frame rails, and also prevents the axle from rotating about its axis. The V-rod attachment prevents fore and aft movement during braking and acceleration of the vehicle as well.
A typical V-rod design has the vertex of the V-shaped member pivotally attached to the vehicle axle, and the end of each extending arm is pivotally attached to the frame rail of the vehicle, or to a vehicle cross member that extends transversely between, and is connected to, the vehicle frame rails. Alternatively, the end of each extending arm of the V-shaped member is attached to a bracket that is mounted to the frame rail or cross arm. Typical designs are designed for mounting each end of the extending arms of the V-shaped member to the same location on the cross member and/or frame rail.
However, there are variations in vehicle frame widths, particularly in North America. As a result, a separately sized V-shaped member may be required for each variation in vehicle frame width that may be encountered to allow for proper attachment of the V-shaped member to each of the separate vehicle frame widths that are encountered. Thus, current V-rod attachment assemblies are frame-width dependent. Therefore, there is a need to provide a V-rod attachment assembly that may utilize the same size V-shaped member on vehicle frames having varying widths. In other words, it would be desirable to provide a V-rod attachment assembly that is not frame-width dependent such that the same V-rod attachment assembly may be used on vehicle frames having different widths.
Furthermore, the pinion angle of an axle may be adjusted by changing the effective length of the extending arms of the V-shaped member. Thus, in some circumstances, to accommodate various axle pinion angle requirements, V-shaped members having extending arms of different lengths may be required to provide for the differing axle pinion angle requirements that are required. Alternatively, different brackets attached to the frame rail or cross member or different frame drillings may be required to provide for different axle pinion angles. Even in instances where the lengths of the extending arms of the V-shaped members do not need to be changed, current V-rod attachment designs may use shims positioned between the end of the extending arms and the attachment point of the extending arms to the frame rail or cross member (or bracket fixed thereto) to alter the effective length of the extending arms of the V-shaped member. The use of shims to adjust the axle pinion angle may be difficult to install and also increase the weight of the system. Using shims to provide fine adjustment to the axle pinion angle may therefore increase the amount of labor required for vehicle set up and thus the overall cost of the vehicle, as well as increase the number of components used resulting in an increase in complexity and overall cost.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a V-rod attachment assembly where the pinion angle of the axle could be set without requiring a V-shaped member having extending arms of different increased or decreased length, or requiring a different arm bracket or vehicle frame drillings. In addition, it would also be desirable to provide a V-rod attachment assembly where the axle pinion angle could be adjusted without requiring the use of shims to adjust the axle pinion angle.
Moreover, current V-rod attachment designs use a corner bracket that is mounted to the frame rail to which the end of the each of the extending arms of the V-shaped member is attached. The attachment of the corner bracket directly to the frame rail makes it difficult to pass wires and hoses along the frame rail, as they cannot pass between the corner bracket and the frame rail. Additionally, in the case where the corner bracket is attached to the cross member of the vehicle, such designs may result in overloading of the cross member. Consequently, the corner brackets may be heavy due to the stiffness profile of the components in the load path and the location of the load path in the system.
Therefore, it would be useful to provide a V-rod attachment system that could provide for the ability to pass wires and/or hose along the frame rail, without having the passage blocked with a frame bracket to frame rail connection, and to provide a V-rod attachment that did not overload the cross member or require the use of heavy corner brackets.